NEET or National Eligibility cum Entrance test is considered to be one of the toughest national-level exams in India. Thus, even securing a qualifying percentile in the exam requires determination and countless practice hours. But, Soyeb Aftab, the NEET 2020 AIl India Topper, stunned the world on 16th October 2020, when the NEET 2020 results were announced. The Rourkela (Odisha) born sensation secured AIR 1 in the medical entrance test with a mind-boggling 720-720 score! Never in the history of NEET had anyone ever secured a ‘perfect’ score.
Some lesser-known facts about NEET 2020 topper Soyeb
- He is the only topper in NEET history to secure a perfect score (720 out of 720). Akansha Singh from Delhi also secured a perfect 720 in NEET 2020 but she was ranked 2nd by the NEET officials as she is younger than Shoaib (a tie-breaking policy in NEET).
- Soyeb admitted in his post result interview that he was not a topper in his initial school days. However, he still managed to secure 96.8% and 95.8% in Class 10 and Class 12 respectively!
- It was in class 10 when he shifted to Kota (Rajasthan) to attend coaching classes for NEET exam Allen Institute. His mother accompanied him as well for the 2 year NEET preparation journey.
- Soyeb’s father Mr. Sheikh Mohammad Abbas, who initially suffered a major setback in his tea business, started his own construction work to save enough money for his son to pursue his dreams.
- Soyeb claims that he dedicates his success to his mother, who he believes was his pillar of strength throughout the journey.
- Soyeb’s mother praised her son’s determination and zeal to succeed. She said that there were no doubts in her mind that her son will succeed in NEET 2020. But, she also claimed that 720 out of 720 is something which no one was expecting.
Soyeb Aftab’s tips and tricks to ace NEET
In a recent interview, Soyeb shared some of his secrets which helped him to succeed in the NEET 2020:
- Soyeb said that it is crucial to take a firm hold on your favourite subject. He always felt comfortable while studying physics, so he made sure to cover the physics section earlier as compared to Chemistry and Biology.
- He also said that covering the NCERT books should be the priority for all the students as NEET exam is mainly structured on NCERT concepts.
- Soyeb said that along with the NCERT books, he referred to books like H.C Verma, which helped him cover miscellaneous topics as well.
- Soyeb said that he always made the most of the study material (notes) he received from Allen Institute. He says that practicing sample papers is the key to ace any entrance exam.
- Soyeb said that he mainly preferred NCERT books for organic and inorganic chemistry. But for Physical chemistry, he took assistance from the popular book ‘Narendra Awasthi’.
- Soyeb told the interviewer that when he came to know that AIIMS entrance exam was scrapped, it became easy for him to prepare for NEET 2020 since the standard of AIIMS entrance question paper was more difficult than the NEET.
- He said that the Biology section in NEET is all about NCERT and students should not be inclined towards complicated study materials as this will halt their preparation for NEET.
- Soyeb insisted on studying biology from NCERT and Trueman.
- Soyeb also said that he regularly solved previous year sample papers (within time limit), to keep a check on his preparation. According to him, this practice ensures that you will not get nervous while solving the question paper at any moment of time.
Finally, Soyeb recommends that aspiring NEET candidates should work hard on the basic principles and gradually move towards the higher level study material. He says that consistency and commitment to the goals is the key to success.
